Car-dumping device.



J. J. IRVIN & W. SHEPPARD.

CAR DUMPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED r113. 14, 1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914 4 SHEETS-8HEET l.

THE NORRIS PETERS LD. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON. I].

I. J. IRVIN & W. SHEPPARD.

GAR DUMPING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION EILED FEB. 14, 1013.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS CU. PHOTO-LJTHOv WASHINGTON. D F

J. J. IRVIN & W. SHEPPARD. CAR DUMPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.14, 1918, 1,106,220.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/allaavp gf bard 5M M I v m W44,

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C

J. J. IRVIN & W. SHEPPARD. GAR DUMPING DEVICE. APPLICATION mum rnn.14,1913.

1,106,220. Patented Aug. 4, 191 1 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 THE NORRIS PETERSC0,, PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTONv D C JOHN J. IRVIN AND WILLIAM SHEPPARD, OFBELLWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAR-DUMPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 19114.

Application filed February 14, 1913. Serial No. 748,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN J. IRVIN and VVILLJAH SHEPPARD, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Bellwood, in the county of Blair andState of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inCar-Dumping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Thls invention relates to dump cars, the object in view being to provideimproved mechanism for dumping a car body, returning the same to itsnormal loaded position and locking the body in position fortransportation and loading, the aim of the in vention being to providemechanism of such nature as to enable the operations referred to to beeconomically effected with a minimum amount of air pressure, alsoreducing the amount of labor required in dumping,

and righting the car body, and also eli'ecting a saving in the materialsand parts required. i

The operation of dumping, as commonly used, is expensive in theconsumption of compressed air, by reason of the fact that insufficientleverage is obtained between the air cylinder and the car body, so thatthe pressure on the air piston is not used to the best advantage inoverturning or tilting the car body, in the act of dumping the same. Itwill be understood that as soon as the body of the car has been slightlytilted on its pivotal or hinge connection with the remainder of the car,the force of gravity will complete the operation. To obtain this initialpart of the tilting operation of the car body with the least possibleamount of compressed air is one of the aims of the present invention.

Two air pressure cylinders are employed, one performing the operation ofdumping the car to the right and the other to the left, and after thecar has been dumped by one cylinder, it is righted by the othercylinder, and vice versa. The arrangement commonly employed forpreventing the car body from tilting over while being loaded or while inposition for transportation, comprises chains which connect the car bodyto the trucks, and this necessitates the employment of more than oneman, as one man could not operate both of the air cylinders, and alsohandle the holding chains at both ends of the car. By means of theimproved construction, hereinafter particularly set forth, one man isenabled to perform both operations simultaneously with a minimumexertion, and at the same time with perfect safety, from. a platform atone end of the car, the levers being so arranged that they are entirelyout of the way as the car body swings on its pivotal center.

iVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of partspas will behereinafter more fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and pointed out in the claims hereunto pended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dump car, embodyingthe present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is across section showing the tilting body in its normal position in fulllines and the dumping position thereof in dotted lines. Fig. l: is anend elevation of the dump car. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail elevation ofthe chain sheave. Fig. (3 is a detail section on the. line a of Fig 5.Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line c-(Z of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is adetail vertical. cross section illustrating the relation between thecable and the several pulleys which it engages.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a pair of trucks, 2 the truckbolsters, and 3 the draft sills, the said parts being of the usualconstruction and arrangement, 4: designating the usual draw bars at eachend of the truck frame, the same being mounted as usual in the end sills5 at opposite ends of the draft sills 3.

6 designates the car body which is pivotally mounted, at 7 on a suitablenumber of brackets 8 supported by the draft sills 3, over which extendarched braces or inverted U-shapcd frames 9, one of which is shown inend elevation in the cross sectional view Fig. 3, each of said braces orframes being suitably secured to the draft sills 3 and the truck framebolsters 2. The end portions of the arched frame bars 9 are secured to ahorizontal tic bar 10 which is supported by side bearings 11 on thebolster 2 of the truck frames.

Extending laterally from each side of the draft sills 3 are thesupporting members 12 of a fixed horizontal platform 13, upon which theoperator stands while manipulating the levers which control the aircylinders and latch operating connections, hereinafter particularly setforth.

In order to support the car body in a normally horizontal position inreadiness for loading and transportation, spring bufiers are locatedadjacent to each corner of the car body, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and2. These spring buffers are located beyond the vertical plane of thepath of tilting move ment of the car body, so as not to interfere withsuch tilting movement, when the latches: hereinafter described, arewithdrawn. Each of said spring bufiers comprises a cylindrical springcontainer or seat 14 provided with a bottom flange 15 secured by bolts16, or the equivalent thereof, to the platform 13. A telescopic orvertically sliding cap 17 fits over the upper end of the seat 14, bothof the members 14 and 17 being cylindrical in shape and cored out toreceive one or more coiled expansion springs 18. The cap 17 forms ayielding support for one of a series of sliding latches or bolts 19,said bolts being mounted to slide under the bottom of the car body, asillustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. These latches are mounted to slidelongitudinally in suitable guides 20 secured to the bottom of the carbody and are actuated by the following means: At one end of the car bodyand mounted thereon are two latch operating levers 21, each of which isadapted to 0p erate the two latches on one side of the pivotal center ofthe tilting body, as illustrated in the plan view Fig. 2. Each lever isfulcrumed, intermediate its ends, on the pivot 22 secured to the outerface of the end wall of the body, as shown in Fig. 4, and connected tothe lower arm of said lever is a rod 23, see Figs. 2 and 4, whichextends nearly the full length of the car body, said rod beingterminally pivoted, at 24, to a latch operating lever 25 which ispivotally attached, at 26, to one of the latches 19. Another rod 27 ispivotally connected to the lever 25,, at 28, and extends toward that endof the car on which the lever 21 is mounted, the rod 27 being pivotallyconnected, at 29, to another latch operating lever 36 which is pivotallyattached, at 31, to the other latch 19 on the same side of the pivotalcenter of the car body, the lever 39 being fulcrumed, at 32, on theadjacent draft sill 3, as shown in Fig. 1. It will now be seen from thedescription of the latch operating mechanism, that when the lever 21 atone side or the other of the pivotal center of the car body is operated,through the medium of the connections referred to, both of the latches19 at that side of the car body are drawn toward each other, until theymove out of the path of the spring buffers, thereby leaving the car bodyunsupported at that side, and adapting the car body to be tilted anddumped in a corre sponding direction. Two levers 21 and two sets oflatches and operating connections are provided, one set at each side ofthe pivotal center of the car body for enabling the body to be tiltedand dumped in either clirection.

Themechanism for tilting and resetting the car body comprises two units,one unit serving to tilt the car body in one direction, and the otherunit acting to tilt the car body in the opposite direction. Each of saidunits comprises an air cylinder 33, to which air is led by means of apipe 33-which enters the casing 34 of a controlling valve which isactuated by means of a hand lever 35 at the same end of the car, as thelever 21, hereinabove described. It may be stated at this point that thevalve operated by the lever 35 is arranged to admit air under pressureto either one of two pipes 33 one of which leads to the cylinder of oneunit, and the other to the cylinder 33 of the other unit. In eachcylinder 33 there is mounted a piston 36, extending downwardly fromwhich is a rigidly attached piston rod 37, the lower end of whichcarries the shaft 38 of a cross head 39, the ends 40 of which aremounted for vertical sliding movement in a pair of spaced guides 41secured to a sup porting frame 42 extending transversely of the truckframe, and shown as secured to the bottom of the draft sills 3.Journaled on the shaft 33 at opposite sides of the connecting or pistonrod 37 are cable operating sheaves 43 which are, therefore, movable upand down with the cross head. Passing un der the sheaves 43 is a rope orcable 44 which, at opposite sides of the path of movement of the sheaves43, passes over the idler or guiding sheaves 45. The central portion ofthe cable or rope 44 passes around an equalizing sheave 46 which isjournaled in the fork 47 of a tension device 48, embodying a threadedshank or stem 49 which passes through an end bar 50 of the frame 42,where it is secured by means of a nut 51, by turning which the cable orrope may be taken up, so as to obtain the proper tension thereon. Theends of the cable or rope 44 are fixedly attached to pair of sheaves 52fast on a shaft 53 supported in bearings 54 secured to the transverseframe members 42, as shown in Fig. 3. Fast on the same shaft and turningin unison with the sheaves- 52 is a chain sheave 55, as shown in Figs. 1and 3, and illustrated in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. From this chainsheave 55, a dumping or tilting and resetting chain 56 extends to thecar body, to which it is connected at a point 57 at a suitable distancefrom the center of pivotal movement of the car body. The opposite end ofthe chain is attached, at 58, to the chain sheave 55. By

reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, it will be seen that said sheave iscam-shaped, and is also grooved in its outer periphery, as shown at 59,to receive and seatthe links of the chain 56. At a point opposite thebore 60 of the chain sheave, the peripheral portion thereof is offsetoutwardly, as showuat 61, and formed with a hole 62, by means of whichthe corresponding end of the chain 56 is pinned to the cam-shaped chainsheave. At one side of the center of movement of the sheave 58, thelatter is formed with a gradual bulge 63, so that as the chain 56 wrapsaround the sheave 58, the leverage on the chain will decrease, thearrangement described giving the greatest leverage on the chain in theinitial part of the movement of said chain sheave, at which time thegreatest power is needed for starting. the tilting movement of the carbody. As the tilt be comes greater, less leverage is required, asgravity then comes into operation and the remainder of the tiltingaction of the car body is effected with less power. At the opposite sidefrom the bulging portion 63, the cam-shaped chain sheave 58 is providedwith another bulging portion 641-, which will take up the slack in thechain 56 to compensate for the amount of movement of the chain 56 of theother tilting and dumping unit.

As the compressed air is let into the top of one of the cylinders 33, byoperating the lever 35, the piston 36 is driven downwardly, carryingwith it the cross head. 39 which slides in the guides 11. At the sametime, the operating sheaves 43 are depressed to a corresponding extent,thereby movingboth runs of the cable or rope 4L4 downwardly, the effectof which is to revolve the sheaves 52. This in turn imparts acorresponding movement to the chain sheave 55 and pulls down on thechain 56 at that side of the car body, which has previously beenunlocked at the corresponding side by manipulating the appropriate lever21 and withdrawing the latches 19 at the same side of the body out ofthe path of the spring buffers, on which said latches normally rest,when the car is in transportation. As previously stated, by reason ofthe cam-shape of the chain sheave, the latter obtains the greatestleverage on the chain during the initial part of the down pull on thebody, thereby conserving the compressed air and utilizing the same tothe best advantage, making the device comparatively economical in theconsumption of compressed air. After the car body has been partiallytilted by the means described, the force of gravity will cause the bodyto tilt to its full extent, thereby permitting the load to slidelaterally from the car body, the door 65 having been automaticallyopened, during the tilting movement of the body, as indicated by fulland dotted lines in Fig. 3. After the car has been dumped, air isadmitted to the other cylinder 33, the piston in which is now at the topof the cylinder, and the car is returned to its normal horizontalposition, i in a manner similar to that in which it was dumped. To dumpto the opposite side, the operation is identical to that just described,except that the air is turned into the other cylinder 33 and the latcheson the corresponding side withdrawn. The sheave 46 acts as an equalizerfor the cable or rope, and also as an anchorage for the same, and inaddition thereto it acts in connection with the tension device 48 as anad usting medium to take up any undue stretch in the rope or cable. Thelatch operating levers 21 lie within the plane of the structure of thecar body, so that the operator cannot be struck thereby, as the bodytilts in the dumping operation. After the car body has been returned toits normal position, the latches are again thrown out by means of saidlevers 21, and stand directly over the spring buffers which thereby forma yielding support for the car body, the buffers in turn being supportedby the platform which rests on the draft sills. This prevents the carbody from tilting accidentally, and the buffers also act as cushioningdevices to absorb shocks during the travel of the car over rough oruneven road beds, preventing the transmission of such shocks to thedraft sills. The said buffers also sustain the shock due to rightingthecar body or returning the same quickly to its normal horizontalposition. It will also be seen that each dumping or tilting unit issupported by a unit frame which is self-contained in the structuredescribed and supported by the draft sills.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. A dump car, embodying a pivotally mounted .car body, a self-containedframe for the air dumping mechanism, an air cylinder supported by saidframe, a piston in said cylinder, a cross head connected with andactuated by said piston, guiding means on said frame for the cross head,sheaves journalecl on the cross head, and connections operated by saidsheaves for tilting the car body.

2. A dump car, embodying a pivotally mounted car body, a self-containedframe for the air (lumping mechanism, an air cylinder supported by saidframe, a piston in said cylinder, a cross head connected with andactuated by said piston, guiding means on said frame for the cross head,sheaves journaled on the cross head, a cable actuated by said sheavesfor tilting the car body, and cable guiding sheaves on said frame.

3. A dump car, embodying a pivotally mounted car body, a self-containedframe for the air dumping mechanism, an air cylinder supported by saidframe, a piston in said cylinder, a cross head connected with andactuated by said piston, guiding means on said frame for the cross head,sheaves journaled on the cross head, a cable actuated by said sheaves,cable drivenisheaves journaled on said frame, a chain sheave operated bythe lastenamed sheaves, and a car body tilting chain actuated by thechain sheave.

4. A dump car, embodying a pivotally mounted car body, aselfcontainedframe for the air dumping mechanism, an air cylindersupported by said frame, a piston in said cylinder, a cross headconneeted'vvith and actuated by said piston, guiding means on said framefor the cross head, sheaves journaled on the cross head, a cableactuated by said sheaves, cable driven sheaves journaled on said frame,a cam-shaped chain sheave operatedby the last-named'sheaves, and a carbody tilting chain actuated by the chain sheave.

5. A dump car,-embodying a; pivotally mounted car body, aself-contained'frame' for the air dumping mechanism, an air cylindersupported by said frame, a piston in said cylinder, a cross headconnected with and actuated by said piston, guiding meanson said framefor the cross head, sheaves journaled on the cross head, a cableactuated by said sheaves, cable driven sheaves ournaled on said frame, achain sheave operated by the last-named sheaves, and a car bodytiltiingichain actuated by the chain sheave, said tilting said body,spring buffers located out 'side the vertical plane oft-the body and atopposite sides of'thepivotalcenter on Which the body tilts, latchescarried by the body and movable into and out of :the plane of thebuffers, and body contained latch-operating 'means.

In testimonywhereofvve afiix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN. J. IRWVIN. lVILLIAM SHEPPARD.

Witnesses GEORGE SCHWENK, 1 G. :13. F oss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eacm-by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. C.

